Opened in 2009, the Great Wolf Lodge outside Charlotte, N.C., is
Great Wolf Resorts newest property. It features the company’s
signature North Woods theming and family-oriented lodging and
activities, all centered around the 80,000-square-foot indoor
waterpark located near the main entry. Guest room wings flank the
waterpark on each side, with the conference center anchoring one of
those wings at the opposite end. The conference center is key
because its business helps balance out sales in slower occupancy
periods.

Guest comfort and avoiding overcrowded areas were primary goals of
the aquatic design, but another central consideration was
environmental sustainability. Through its Project Green Wolf
program, the company has committed to environmentally friendly
practices and earned Green Seal’s Silver Certification.

The indoor waterpark boasts several state-of-the-art technologies
to conserve water and chemicals. These include regenerative media
filters for aquatic features and low-flow fixtures for locker room
urinals, water closets and showers.

The building itself features heating and ventilating systems to
conserve energy in the waterpark. In the waterpark envelope are
insulation and carefully designed air sealing to reduce unwanted
energy leakage. Special care was taken to seal around slide
penetrations and other unique aquatic features. To save energy, the
heating and ventilating equipment ramps up slowly, and
variable-frequency drives were installed to help reduce fan energy
costs. The VFDs lower fan speeds in periods of low occupancy. In
addition, humidity and temperature controls greatly reduce pool
water evaporation, which saves on water and the energy to heat
it.

Other green features that are a part of the operation include
recycling bins located throughout the facility; guest linen
recycling; and composting of unused food items. State-of-the-art
laundry equipment reduces water consumption up to 70 percent over
traditional practices. Meanwhile, recycled paper and biodegradable
dishwashing and laundry detergents further support the
resort’s green efforts.

The Great Wolf Lodge brand is tailored to families, and designers
kept that in mind when planning aquatic amenities for the North
Carolina property. The waterpark caters to distinct age groups
— toddlers, young children, tweens teens and adults —
with plenty of overlap to entertain the whole family.

The toddler area sports spray-and-play features, a zero-depth
entry, and a kiddie pool and slide.

The four-story competitive mat racer water slides, six-story Howlin
Tornado, and giant wave pool are suitable for tweens. The fastest
slides in the park (twin three-story slides) appeal to teens, and
the entire family can enjoy the signature River Canyon Run family
raft ride.

This park also includes a huge tree fort play structure with a host
of guest-activated waterfeatures, and an outdoor activity pool for
fun in the sun.

All told, the indoor waterpark is the heart of a well-rounded
destination resort. Guests appreciate the abundance of on-site
activities for all age groups.

Other highlights include an arcade, high-tech teen center, adult
and kids’ spas, minigolf, and dining that overlooks the
indoor waterpark.